By: Prof Daniel B.Wallace

Passover in the Time of Jesus

(Reflection)

The following essay
is the transcript used in a recent Seder that I conducted with some friends.
With a little imagination, you can see how it was implemented.

This evening we will
be celebrating the Passover as it was celebrated in the first century A.D. Our
records are scanty in some places, but the majority of aspects of the evening
are certifiable as authentic at that time. We will not eatgifilta fish, nor
have a boiled egg or a bare lamb shank bone on our plates, since this practice
does not date back to the time of Jesus.[1] The meal itself will be simple: hors
d’oeuvres, lamb, unleavened bread, and wine; the symbolic significance of the
meal, however, will be rich and complex. The Passover was a festive occasion—a
celebration of the nation’s release from Egyptian bondage. We should celebrate it tonight as Jesus’
disciples did, for only later did they realize the irony of this joyous
occasion that pointed to the death of the Messiah.

As we replicate what
the Jews of Palestine did at the time of Jesus, try to
reflecton what may have been going through the disciples’
minds as well as our Lord’s, as we partake of that last Passover before his death. At certain points we
will punctuate the ceremony with references to that Thursday evening of April
2, A. D. 33.[2]
At the end of the Passover, we will briefly look at Matthew 26:17-30, 36-45 and
a few other verses.

Preliminaries:

■Nisan 10—Selection of a lamb: A one-year-old unblemished male lamb
is chosen for the Passover by a member of the household. (In A. D. 33, Nisan 10
fell on ‘Palm Monday,’ the day Jesus made his untriumphal entry into Jerusalem.
It is evident that he was presenting himself as the unblemished sacrifice for
the nation on that day.) The slaughter of the lambs would not take
place until Nisan 14, the day Jesus
was crucified (Friday, April 3, A. D. 33).[3]

■Nisan 13—Searching for leaven: Usually the evening before the
Passover meal was eaten, the paterfamilias led his family through the house by
candlelight, looking in nooks and crannies for any leaven in the house. No
leaven was supposed to be in the home at that time. (Not infrequently, Jews
would sell their leaven to their Gentile neighbors and buy it back after the
eight days of unleavened bread!)

At the end of the
search the father says, “All leaven that is in my possession, that which I have
seen and that which I have not seen, be it null, be it accounted as the dust of
the earth.”[4]

■Nisan 14—Footwashing: As guests and family members entered the home
to celebrate Passover, a servant or slave would often be there to wash their
feet. This was the task of the lowest class of people. (That Jesus did this in John 13, even though he was the paterfamilias
or head of the family, both symbolizes what he would later do for his disciples
[cf. Mark 10:45—“The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give my life as a ransom for many”] and embodies his principle that “If anyone
wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all” [Mark 9:35; cf.
also John 13:15].)[5]

■Non-ritual wine: Before we partake of the ritual wine, we are
permitted to drink wine that has no religious significance. This non-ritual
wine is also allowed between the first and second cups of ritual wine, and
between the second and third cups.

■First hand-washing: Once all the guests arrive, we will perform the
ritual hand-washing that Jews, from antiquity, have done before every meal.[6]

■Table setting: in front of each seat—four glasses for ritual wine,
labeled as such (the non-ritual wine glass should not be on the table, but
should be given to guests after they arrive and after their feet are washed);
one plate, cutlery, napkin. Several candles on the table. Seating labels in
place. Charoseth, unleavened bread, vegetables, and vinegar (karpas) should all
be on the table. As well, representative bottles of wine should be there too,
all labeled.

■Reclining at table: The ancient near eastern custom of total
relaxation was not too far from our modern “couch potato with remote control”
motif. They would relax around a low table (about 18” off the ground), sprawled
out on pillows, being served by the help. So, take your shoes off, and prepare
to have a good time!

Seating at Passover
is assigned: beginning with the head of the family at one end, the guests are to
wrap around the table either from the oldest to youngest, or the most important
to the least important. Some of you have place names for where you should sit;
the rest may sit where they please.

■First cup: Four
ritual cups of wine are used for the Passover. The Mishnah says that even the
poorest man in Israel must drink the four ritual cups, even if it means selling
all his possessions! The wine used was red and warm, a custom we are continuing
this evening. A prayer is uttered over each cup, and the four verbs of Exodus
6:6-7 are recited, one over each cup.

After we are seated
casually, the first prayer (the kiddush, or prayer of sanctification) is
uttered by the paterfamilias.

... ברוךאתהייאלהינומלךהעלמבוראפריהגפנ

“Blessed are you, O
Lord our God, king of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. . .
. And you, O Lord our God, have given us festival days for joy, this feast of
the unleavened bread, the time of our deliverance in remembrance of the
departure from Egypt. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who has kept us alive,
sustained us, and enabled us to enjoy this season.”

The kiddush: “Blessed
are you, O Lord our God, . . . who has created the fruit of the vine. . . .
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and
enabled us to enjoy this season.”

Then the first cup of
ritual wine is poured and the first verb of Exodus 6:6-7 is recited by the
father:

אנייהוהוהוצאתיאתכממתחתסבלתמצרימ

“I am the LORD, and I
will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.”

The wine may now be
drunk. (After this cup, you may now drink non-ritual wine until the second cup
is served. The non-ritual wine may be any of the previously mentioned
non-ritual wines, or it may be the wine used for the first cup.)

■The Karpas (bitter
herbs and the first dipping): The head of the house dips bitter herbs
(traditionally lettuce or celery) into salt water or vinegar. He dips herb
together with the chief guest of honor (the person on his right), and then the
bitter herbs are passed on down the table.

After all partake of
the karpas, all food is removed from the table. This heightens the interest of
the evening, prompting the questions from the youngest son.

■Second Cup: poured,
but not yet drunk.

■Questions from the
youngest son/least significant person:

Why is this night
different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat leavened or
unleavened bread, but this night only unleavened bread.

On all other nights
we eat all kinds of herbs, but this night only bitter herbs. Why do we dip the
herbs twice?

On all other nights
we eat meat roasted, stewed, or boiled, but on this night why only roasted
meat?

■Answer by the father
(recounting the history of Israel from Abraham till Moses and the giving of the
Law)[7]:

Acts 7:2-38 (with
some lacunae) is read. It is interesting that Stephen’s speech so closely
parallels the kinds of things that the paterfamilias would say at the Passover
(though with some interesting twists to it) that one wonders if this was indeed
the message that Stephen, as head of his own home, would recite at Passover
(for at 7:39 Stephen goes beyond what was to be recited and begins to pronounce
his indictment against the religious leaders).

■All food and wine is
returned to the table, including the lamb.

■Father now explains
the significance of the lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread.

■Singing of the first
half of the Hallel Psalms: Psalms 113-114.

Done in one of two
ways: father singing the lines with the family saying “Hallelujah” after each
verse, or all singing the psalms together. We will do the latter. [NIV]

Psa. 113:1Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of
the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

Psa. 113:2 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
both now and forevermore.

Psa. 113:3 From the rising of the sun to the
place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Psa. 113:4 The LORD is exalted over all the
nations, his glory above the heavens.

Psa. 113:5 Who is like the LORD our God, the One
who sits enthroned on high,

Psa. 113:6 who stoops down to look on the
heavens and the earth?

Psa. 113:7 He raises the poor from the dust and
lifts the needy from the ash heap;

Psa. 113:8 he seats them with princes, with the
princes of their people.

Psa. 113:9 He settles the barren woman in her
home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.

Psa. 114:1 When Israel came out of Egypt, the
house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,

Psa. 114:2 Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel
his dominion.

Psa. 114:3 The sea looked and fled, the Jordan
turned back;

Psa. 114:4 the mountains skipped like rams, the
hills like lambs.

Psa. 114:5 Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O
Jordan, that you turned back,

Psa. 114:6 you mountains, that you skipped like
rams, you hills, like lambs?

Psa. 114:7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of
the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

Psa. 114:8 who turned the rock into a pool, the
hard rock into springs of water.

Prayer
over the Second Cup:

■ברוךאתהייאלהינומלךהעולמבוראפריהגפנ

“Blessed are you, O
Lord our God, king of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. . .
.

Exodus 6:6b: “I will
deliver you from their bondage”

■והצלתיאתכממעבדתמ

■Second hand-washing:
This hand-washing is done out of respect for the unleavened bread that is about
to be eaten.

■The Paschal Lamb,
charoseth with vegetables, and two of the unleavened bread wafers are served.

■Prayer over the
bread (by the father):

“Blessed are you, O
Lord our God, King of the univese, who brings forth bread from the earth.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us
with your commandments, and commanded us to eat unleavened bread.”

■Breaking of the
bread:

The host breaks the
guest of honor’s bread and they dip it together in the charoseth and bitter
herbs. The guest in turn breaks his neighbor’s bread and they dip it together,
and so on down the line.

■The meal may now be
eaten.

After drinking the
second cup of wine, any wine that has already been drunk may now be drunk
non-ritually.

■The Third Cup:
Prayer and consumption

After the meal, the
third cup is poured. The last of the unleavened bread wafers is blessed,
broken, and eaten:

“Blessed are you, O
Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us
with your commandments, and commanded us to eat unleavened bread.”

All
participants recite the post-meal grace together,
and then the prayer over the wine.

“The name of the Lord
be blessed from now until eternity. Let us bless him of whose gifts we have
partaken: Blessed be our God of whose gifts we have partaken, and by whose
goodness we exist.”

“Blessed are you, O
Lord our God, king of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. . .
.

Then
the father recites the third verb from Exodus 6:6:

“I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great
judgments.”

וגאלתיאתכמבזרוענטימגדלימ

Then the wine is
drunk.

*No non-ritual wine
may be drunk between the third and the fourth cup.

The
Fourth Cupand the
final Hallel Psalms:

The fourth cup of
wine is poured and blessed by all:

“Blessed are you, O
Lord our God, king of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. . .
.

Then
the father recites the fourth verb from Exodus 6:6-7:

“Then I will take you as my people, and I
will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought
you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”

Psalms 115-118 are now sung as a closing hymn [NIV,
slightly modified]

Psa. 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of
your love and faithfulness.

Psa. 115:2 Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?”

Psa. 115:3 Our God is in heaven; he does
whatever pleases him.

Psa. 115:4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.

Psa. 115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see;

Psa. 115:6 they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but they cannot smell;

Psa. 115:7 they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

Psa. 115:8 Those who make them will be like
them, and so will all who trust in them.

Psa. 115:9 O house of Israel, trust in the LORD
— he is their help and shield.

Psa. 115:10 O house of Aaron, trust in the
LORD — he is their help and shield.

Psa. 115:11 You who fear him, trust in the
LORD — he is their help and shield.

Psa. 115:12 The LORD remembers us and will
bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron,

Psa. 115:13 he will bless those who fear the
LORD — small and great alike.

Psa. 115:14 May the LORD make you increase,
both you and your children.

Psa. 115:15 May you be blessed by the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psa. 115:16 The highest heavens belong to
the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.

Psa. 115:17 It is not the dead who praise
the LORD, those who go down to silence;

Psa. 115:18 it is we who extol the LORD,
both now and forevermore. Praise the LORD.

Psa. 116:1
I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

Psa. 116:2 Because he turned his ear to me, I
will call on him as long as I live.

Psa. 116:3 The cords of death entangled me, the
anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.

Psa. 116:4 Then I called on the name of the
LORD: “O LORD, save me!”

Psa. 116:5 The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.

Psa. 116:6 The LORD protects the simplehearted;
when I was in great need, he saved me.

Psa. 116:7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for
the LORD has been good to you.

Psa. 118:5 In my anguish I cried to the LORD,
and he answered by setting me free.

Psa. 118:6 The LORD is with me; I will not be
afraid. What can man do to me?

Psa. 118:7 The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I will look in triumph on my enemies.

Psa. 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the
LORD than to trust in man.

Psa. 118:9 It is better to take refuge in the
LORD than to trust in princes.

Psa. 118:10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

Psa. 118:11 They surrounded me on every
side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

Psa. 118:12 They swarmed around me like
bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I
cut them off.

Psa. 118:13 I was pushed back and about to
fall, but the LORD helped me.

Psa. 118:14 The LORD is my strength and my
song; he has become my salvation.

Psa. 118:15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!

Psa. 118:16 The LORD’s right hand is lifted
high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”

Psa. 118:17 I will not die but live, and
will proclaim what the LORD has done.

Psa. 118:18 The LORD has chastened me
severely, but he has not given me over to death.

Psa. 118:19 Open for me the gates of
righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.

Psa. 118:20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.

Psa. 118:21 I will give you thanks, for you
answered me; you have become my salvation.

Psa. 118:22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone;

Psa. 118:23 the LORD has done this, and it
is marvelous in our eyes.

Psa. 118:24 This is the day the LORD has
made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psa. 118:25 O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant
us success.

Psa. 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.

Psa. 118:27 The LORD is God, and he has made
his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up
to the horns of the altar.

Psa. 118:28 You are my God, and I will give
you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Psa. 118:29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he
is good; his love endures forever.

***

[1] The basic source for the
ancient Passover ceremony is the tractate Pesachim (from which the Greek word pascha is derived
and which is translated as ‘paschal’ in the RSV of 1 Cor 5:7, ‘passover’ in
most other modern translations) in the Mishnah, a document that was written
down in c. A. D. 200 by Rabbi Judah ha-Nassi. Judah had received it via oral
tradition dating back to the great Rabbi Hillel, who lived in the century
before Christ.

[2] The date I follow has been
argued for by Harold Hoehner in his Chronological Aspects of the Life of
Christ.

[3] Passover lambs were slain
between noon and 3 p.m. on Nisan 14 (recall that there were three hours of darkness, from
approximately noon to 3 p.m., when Jesus was on the cross [Mark 15:33]. When
Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom [Mark
15:38]—right when the last of the lambs would be on the altar in front of the
sanctuary!). In A. D. 70, the last year that the temple
was still standing, 270,000
lambs were slain.

When the lambs were
slain, the Levites would chant the Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113-118) repeatedly.

[4]This practice apparently stems
from a rabbinic interpretation of Zephaniah 1:12—“I will search Jerusalem with
lamps and punish those who are complacent.’” Since leaven often represents sin, Paul
makes the tie between the leaven of the Passover and our commitment to Christ
in 1 Cor 5:7 (“Get rid of the
old leaven that you may be a new batch without leaven—as you really are. For
Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”)

[5]The footwashing was not a part
of the Passover per se, but was the custom in Palestine when one entered a home
to eat a meal.

[6]There is some dispute about
when the first handwashing was performed. In modern times, it is done prior to
the meal and before sitting down. In ancient times it may have been done once
all reclined at table and after the first cup of wine was poured.

Cf. Matt 15:1-20 (Jesus refutes
this tradition as merely “the precepts of the men,” noting that the
Pharisees and scribes had abandoned the commandments of God for such
traditions.)

[7] The command to recount
Israel’s history is recorded in Exod 10:2; 12:26-27; and 13:8.